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February/March 2020 Newsletter
In this issue:
  • Director's Announcement - OSP Remote Operations; Travel Cancellations due to COVID-19 and Sponsored Programs
  • National Science Foundation - Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) 20-1: Significant Changes and Clarifications; COVID-19 Guidance
  • National Institutes of Health - General FAQs Related to COVID-19
Director's Announcement
OSP Remote Operations
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Due to guidance issued by the university over the weekend, the Office of Sponsored Programs will be operating remotely for the time being. Email is the best form of communication during this time and we do not foresee any lapse or delays in processing grant requests. We are still able to submit grant proposals remotely and can still act as the liaison between you and the sponsor. While we are operating remotely, please keep in mind that we are unable to access many of our electronic files, reporting, or JMU systems, so requests that involve these resources may be delayed. Please continue to keep us informed of any prior approval requests such as no-cost extensions and budget revisions during this time so that we can provide assistance. We still remain devoted to providing timely and helpful service to our faculty and staff involved in external funding and hope that everyone stays healthy during this time.
Travel Cancellations due to COVID-19 and Sponsored Programs
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Federal sponsors are beginning to issue guidance to whether cancelled, non-refundable travel arrangements due to the COVID-19 can be charged to sponsored programs. If you have a federal grant and travel may be affected by COVID-19 related cancellations, you may want to check this central repository of announcements for further guidance. If your project performance is impacted by COVID-19 travel restrictions in any way, regardless of sponsor type, please contact OSP as soon as possible so that we can reach out to your sponsor to receive guidance on next steps.
National Science Foundation
Proposal and Award Policy and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) 20-1: Significant Changes and Clarifications
Proposals submitted or due, or awards made, on or after June 1, 2020 must follow the NSF PAPPG 20-1. Below are highlights of the significant changes and clarifications:

  • Biographical Sketch -  Proposers must use an NSF-approved format either thru SciENcv or a NSF Fillable PDF (coming soon). NSF added language to the Appointments section to increase clarity. Appointments should include any titled academic, professional, or institutional position, whether or not remuneration is received. NSF updated the Synergistic Activities section to clarify that these activities should be specific and not include multiple examples to describe a single activity. For example: Co-chair of a session at a conference in France and a conference in Germany would be two separate activities. 

  • Current and Pending Support - Proposers must use an NSF-approved format either thru SciENcv or a NSF Fillable PDF (coming soon). In-kind contributions that are not intended for use on the project/proposal being proposed to NSF but that have associated time commitment, must be included as part of the Current and Pending Support section of the proposal. If the in-kind contributions are intended for use on the project/proposal being proposed to NSF, the information must be included as part of the Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources section of the proposal. The in-kind contribution information on the Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources section should not be quantifiable financial information. For more information, please see a set of frequently asked questions related to current and pending support at: https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/papp/pappg20_1/faqs_cps20_1.pdf

  • List of Suggested Reviewers or Reviewer Not to Include – Updated to remove the requirement to indicate why the proposer prefers someone not review their proposal.

  • Project Description - The requirement to include a separate section labeled “Intellectual Merit” in the project description has been removed.  In addition, another example has been added to the list of societally relevant outcomes in the broader impacts paragraph. The list is not meant to be either comprehensive or prescriptive; proposers may include appropriate outcomes not covered by the examples.

  • Participant Support Costs - NSF has made language changes related to service agreements/contracts and meals and coffee breaks to provide greater clarity. Conference costs, such as catering costs, that are secured through a service agreement should not be Participant Support Costs but should be budgeted as Other Direct Costs. 

  • Collaborators & Other Affiliations Information - Guidance has been added to clarify that the instructions at the top of the template may be deleted and rows may be inserted as needed to provide additional names. When completing the template, do not change the column sizes or the font type.

The Office of Sponsored Programs encourages those who are interested in applying for NSF funding this summer to familiarize themselves with the new PAPPG. We also encourage all NSF applicants to begin using SciENvc to formulate your Biosketch and Current and Pending Support documents now so to familiarize yourself with the system before it is mandatory.
COVID-19 Guidance
The National Science Foundation created an informational page related to COVID-19 which includes guidance to the NSF Community whose projects may have been impacted by COVID-19. If you have an active NSF grant that may be affected, the OSP encourages you to read the FAQs detailing NSF's response and expectations during this time. Please do not hesitate to reach out to OSP with any questions or concerns related to proposal submission or ongoing projects.
National Institutes of Health
General FAQs on COVID-19
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The National Institutes of Health issued notice providing guidance to the research community related to proposal submission and awards management related to COVID-19 ( NOT-OD-20-083). Those with current NIH awards and those who have a deadline quickly approaching are encouraged to review this notice. Please remember that the OSP is here to assist you during this time, so please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or prior approval requests.